


Shaman

by rainsoakedshoes



Series: 30 Days of Sterek [22]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Full Shift Werewolves, I have no idea what to tag, M/M, Shaman Stiles Stilinski, Spirits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-19
Updated: 2015-01-19
Packaged: 2018-03-08 05:56:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3197948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainsoakedshoes/pseuds/rainsoakedshoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles is next in line to be the shaman for his village. He believes he's ready, but those around him aren't so sure. So Stiles sets out on his own to learn and become more in touch with the spirits that call the forest home; specifically the spirits known as The Wolves, who protect the forest and are considered dangerous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shaman

**Author's Note:**

> Day 22 - Shaman  
> i dont even know if i like this idea??? im posting it at 11pm so you guys can be the judge.   
> also im pretty sure i basically butchered the idea behind shamanism and im sorry.

Stiles knows all the stories,  the ones his mother used to tell – the ones Deaton now tells, the ones that will be his to tell soon enough – he knows them all by heart.

He could tell you the history of his people, or recite the creation stories in his sleep. But his favourites are the tales about the spirits who live in the woods surrounding their village.

When he was younger his mother told him that he loved those stories the most because it was his destiny to be the link between the spirits and the humans. The spirits would give him the knowledge he needed to protect and heal the village.

As he grew older though Stiles wasn’t content with just repeating the stories. He wanted to go out in the woods and experience the spirits for himself; it was his destiny after all.

Unfortunately not everyone saw it the same way Stiles did.

“But don’t you think it’s time?” Stiles asked Deaton for the third time that morning.

“You have a lot more to learn before you go out into the forest and try to connect with the spirits.” Deaton didn’t even bother looking at Stiles.

Stiles frowned. His mother would have supported him. She was the medicine woman before she was killed and Deaton stepped in to look after the village until Stiles came of age.

“I turn eighteen in a month,” Stiles pointed out.

“Then we have another month to teach you what you need to know before we think about letting you go.”

Stiles sighed dramatically. “What more could I learn in a month? Why can’t I go now?”

“The Wolves,” Deaton said, as though he was talking to a small child.

The Wolves.

They were the reason no one went into the forest by themselves after dark.

The Wolves weren’t real wolves though. They were said to be spirits protecting the forest. The legends said that they were vengeful beings who could take on the appearance of a man to trick any who were stupid enough to enter their forest.

“But-”

“This isn’t up for discussion anymore.” Deaton held up a hand to silence Stiles. “You aren’t ready to face The Wolves yet.”

Stiles wanted to point out that nobody had encountered The Wolves in two generations. Not even people like his mother and Deaton who were supposed to have a connection with the spirits. Instead Stiles bit his tongue and left Deaton alone.

He didn’t care what Deaton said; he was going out into the forest.

*

The moon was almost full and hung high in the sky as Stiles turned his back on the village and made his way into the forest.

He had waited for everyone to go to sleep, and until the fire had burned down into smouldering embers at the bottom of the fire pit.

Nobody knew that he was leaving. If he told anyone they would try to stop him or talk him out of going, there was no doubt about that. Deaton wasn’t the only one who thought that Stiles going out into the forest was a bad idea. His dad and friends thought that it was dangerous, and that Stiles wasn’t ready.

Stiles felt ready though.

As he walked through the dark forest, away from his village and everyone he knew, it felt right.

Stiles walked for hours. He didn’t want to stop in case someone had discovered him missing and had followed. He wanted to get as far away from the village as he could.

He headed north, where the last reported sightings of The Wolves and other spirits had been. The sky was clear of clouds and the stars shone bright, making it easier for him to stay on course.

Stiles was disappointed when the sun started to rise; he had yet to encounter any spirits let alone the vicious wolves.

It was a little past sunrise when Stiles finally decided to stop.

Walking all night had left him exhausted, and night was the best time to find spirits, so Stiles decided to try and sleep through the day.

He curled up on the ground with his back to a fallen tree, and pulled a blanket up over his head to block out the bright morning sun.

*

Stiles was woken up by a sharp jab to his ribs.

He pulled back the blankets and blinked up at the figure looming over him. Stiles scrambled to sit and in the process slammed his back into the tree he had been sleeping beside.

The man above Stiles had his arms folded across his chest and was looking down at Stiles with a raised eyebrow. He had dark hair and scruff, and piercing green eyes that Stiles couldn’t look away from.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. Judging from his tone it wasn’t the first time he had asked.

“Uh.” How did Stiles explain that he had essentially abandoned his village to go looking for spirits?

“Who are you?” The man tried a different question.

“Stiles.” He knew how to answer that one.

“I’m Derek.” The man extended a hand down to Stiles. “Now again: what are you going here?”

Stiles accepted Derek’s hand and Derek pulled him up with more force than Stiles had been expecting. Stiles ended up stumbling forward into Derek, pressing his hands against the other man’s chest to catch and steady himself.

Stiles blushed and stepped back. He couldn’t tell if the expression on Derek’s face was amusement or annoyance.

“I’m looking for The Wolves,” Stiles blurted out before Derek could ask what he was doing there again. “The wolf spirits.”

Derek’s eyebrows climbed higher up his forehead in surprise. “Do you have a death wish?”

Stiles shrugged. “I don’t think The Wolves are as dangerous as everyone says.”

That was something he had never admitted out loud before. He knew that the others would have laughed at him and told him that he of all people should know how dangerous The Wolves could be. But that’s why he was so _sure_ he wasn’t in danger. This connection with the spirits was in his blood, he felt safe in the woods; perhaps even safer than he ever had in the village.

A flicker of a smile went across Derek’s face. “Why?” he asked.

“I’m.” Stiles’ brows furrowed as he tried to figure out how to put it in words. It made sense in his head, but he wasn’t sure it would make sense if he said it out loud. “I’m a medicine man – at least I will be. It’s who I’m supposed to be. I’m supposed to have this connection with the spiritual world, and something tells me that The Wolves wouldn’t hurt me. I just want to learn more about them. I want to learn about the real spirits, not just the stories I’ve been told.”

Derek’s mouth curved up into a proper smile.

“What are _you_ doing out here?” Stiles asked.

Derek mimicked Stiles shrug. “I’m out here because I want to be.”

“Why-” Stiles started.

Derek had already turned his back on Stiles and was walking away. “Be careful, Stiles. These woods can be dangerous; especially at night.”

*

As the day dragged on Stiles wondered if he should have followed Derek, if only so he would have someone to talk to.

It was odd that someone would be wandering the forest alone like Stiles was. He had been prepared to encounter hunters and other people from other villages, there were a few scattered to the north. But he had never heard of anyone going into the forest by themselves, or getting separated from who they were travelling with.

Then there was the fact that Derek hadn’t been armed; even Stiles had a dagger with him. The more Stiles thought about it he realised that Derek hadn’t had anything on him. He was wandering the forest with no protection and no supplies.

Stiles managed to push the thoughts of Derek out of his mind and he gathered firewood and collected water from a nearby stream.

He was still tired after being rudely woken up, and as he lay by the fire Stiles drifted off to sleep again.

*

It was dark by the time Stiles woke up again, and the ashes of his fire were cold. He had no idea how he’d been able to sleep for so long on the hard ground. But at least he hadn’t been mauled by wild animals, so that was a good sign.

He packed up his small camp and set out north again.

Stiles didn’t really have a plan on _how_ to find the spirits beyond “wander the woods at night”. All the legends said that the spirits would be the ones to find you. Plus a small part of Stiles had never expected to get that far; he thought Scott or his father would have caught him and dragged him back to the village.

There were more clouds than the previous night and when they passed in front of the moon Stiles found himself stumbling over tree roots and fallen branches.

After the sixth time he found himself face down in the mud he decided a small break was in order.

Deaton always said the answers for how to heal and guide the village could be found through meditation. So Stiles decided to try that, maybe meditation would bring the spirits to him if he concentrated hard enough.

Almost as soon as he closed his eyes though a deafening howl ripped through the forest. Several howls answered the first. They were all incredibly close to Stiles.

Stiles stood and gathered his things, then had a change of heart. He wasn’t going to run. These howls could be from the wolf spirits that he was searching for.

There was the sound of snapping twigs behind him and Stiles turned. He came face to face with a huge black wolf with glowing red eyes.

It felt like all the air had been punched out of Stiles’ lungs and he took a tentative step back, only to trip over yet another exposed tree root.

The wolf snarled and advanced on Stiles.

Stiles threw up his hands and closed his eyes. He couldn’t believe his luck.

_I found exactly what I was looking for and now I’m going to die._

However, instead of feeling teeth tearing through his flesh, or hearing his bones snapping, Stiles heard a man laugh.

Stiles opened his eyes again to see –

“Derek?!” 

The man was standing where the wolf had been, and he was completely naked.

A large grin spread across his face. “I heard you were looking for us.”

He gestured behind himself to three other wolves. In front of Stiles’ eyes the three wolves turned into humans – two men and one woman – each as naked as Derek was.

“You – You’re?” Stiles stuttered, unable to form a cohesive sentence. He shook his head in complete disbelief.

Derek extended his hand down to Stiles, the same way he had that morning, and once again Stiles took it and let the other man pull him to his feet.

“We’re The Wolves,” Derek nodded. “This is Boyd, Erica and Isaac.” He pointed to each of the other three in turn.

Stiles rubbed his left hand across his face. His right was still being held by Derek.

“What are you going to do now?” Stiles asked. “Are you going to kill me?”

Derek shook his head. “You said you wanted to learn more about the spirits, about the _real_ spirits, we can show you. _I_ can show you.” Derek let go of Stiles’ hand. “If you want.”

Stiles thought about it for a moment. He reached out and took Derek’s hand again. “I want you to show me.”

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me on [tumblr](http://heavenlyhale.tumblr.com/)


End file.
